Purpose/Goal of Ministry
Poitiers, France is home to around 200,000 people year-round. Most of the population does not practice any sort of religion at all. Less than 5 percent identify themselves as practicing Catholics. About 5% are practicing and/or traditionally Muslim. Then less than 0.25 percent of people in Poitiers are active evangelical and Protestant Christians. Our vision is to work from within one of the few local evangelical churches to disciple and equip the current believers in Disciple Making Movement strategies so they may lead in making disciples in their city, in the region and help launch house churches across the entire country.
Poitiers is also home to one of France’s oldest and most prestigious universities, the University of Poitiers. Over 25,000 students come to study here each year giving the city the highest per capita concentration of university students in all of France. Students come from all across France and over 100 other countries; many of which are in the 1040 Window. Our placement in this city gives us a unique opportunity to reach these students while they are in Poitiers as well. We hope to disciple and equip them so they may return as disciple makers to their own cities and nations.
Required Activities:
- Studying French at the University of Poitiers (https://cfle.univ-poitiers.fr/en/centre-de-francais-langue-etrangere-page-daccueil-anglais/)
- Building relationships and friendships among classmates
- Prayer Walking
- Spiritual Disciplines (Scripture reading, prayer, etc.)
- Attending Team Meetings
- Involvement with youth ministry activities, prayer meetings at church.
- Three Thirds discipleship Bible study
Optional Activities:
- Helping facilitate worship (if you have that skillset)
- Preaching/communion meditations/teaching at local church (if you have that skillset and your language develops well enough)
- Opportunities to teach English (if you have that skillset)
Minimum time commitment:
One semester is possible BUT two semesters is preferable. It is usually not until the after the first two months that people feel like they can start to actually communicate in French. So, if one comes for just one semester, one is just getting started and then they have to leave. Coming for two semesters (late August to early June) allows one time to learn French and build relationships in the Fall. Then during the Spring semester, one continues growing in one’s French and allowing God to use one to make a lasting impact for Christ among friends.
Also, if one’s goal is to work in another French-speaking country (for example in certain African nations), a year of French study in Poitiers will prepare one for using French to navigate their country’s government and business. Plus, French can be used as a bridge to learning the heart language of one’s people group.